‘Antiques Roadshow’ Reveals Big Price Tab On ‘Monstrosity’
Antiques Roadshow is often able to surprise people when the appraisers find huge value in some unlikely items. This happened when the team went to Saly Lake City when someone brought a “monstrosity” that had been in the family for years. They learned it was worth a great deal but chose to keep it anyway.
Here is a look at the “monstrosity” and what it ended up worth.
Antiques Roadshow Finds Value In Family Monstrosity
Antiques Roadshow expert Brian Witherell was presented with an interesting contraption when the reality TV show went to Salt Lake City. The contraption was a large mechanical device that a man brought in. He said it had been in his family for years (via YouTube).
“It was built by my father’s maternal grandfather,” the owner said. “He was an ironworker, and I guess this is what he did in his spare time. We got it about 25 years ago and have been hauling it around the United States since then. We just call it the monstrosity because it’s so large and so heavy, it seems to fit.”
Brian examined it and, after consulting other experts, gave his thoughts to the man. He said it was probably a “scratch-built bird cage/aquarium.” Brian then explained that “scratch-built” means one built by a 19th-century mechanical artist. He said they didn’t know if it was American or European.
The man then said his great-grandfather was an ironworker in New York, which answered that question. Brian explained that America focused on mechanical arts at that time, and people could create complex projects. Brian also pointed out a unique clocktower with the owner’s ancestor’s initials, two bird cages, an aquarium, and possibly a steam engine that operated the contraption.
What Was The Antiques Roadshow Contraption Worth?
The owner brought it to Antiques Roadshow to learn more about the monstrosity. He soon noticed things he had never seen before, including a gasolier for illumination. Brian quipped that this was mostly a “torture chamber for birds.”
The item was estimated to have been built in 1886, and Brian said the experts were confused about what they could appraise this at. He said they disagreed on its value. However, he told the owner that he thinks the value is between $3,000 and $5,000 if sold at an auction.
“I think one of the reasons we’re keeping it down a little bit is simply because it would take a lot to get this functioning again and showing the way it was intended,” Brian explained.
However, that is when the owner dropped the bombshell. He said his family wanted to get it working again. They never planned to sell it. “We’re determined to keep it in the family and keep it up as well as we can,” he said.
What are your thoughts on this incredible device from Antiques Roadshow? Let us know in the comments below.
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